Anthony Scaramucci, an associate of President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defended Jared Kushner’s sister for kicking journalists out of a business meeting. The move raised questions about potential conflicts of interest for the President’s son-in-law and top adviser.
“Journalists are nosy, and journalists throw the eggs,” Scaramucci said in an interview on CNN’s “New Day.”
Kushner’s sister, Nicole Meyer Kushner, promoted a housing development project over the weekend to Chinese investors in Beijing. She sought to raise funds for the project through a visa program that awards permanent U.S. residency to foreign investors who finance projects that create a certain number of jobs.
Publicists at an event Saturday asked Washington Post reporters to leave, claiming their presence threatened the event’s “stability.”
When asked why reporters were pushed out, one publicist told the Washington Post: “This is not the story we want.”
Scaramucci on Tuesday said a “mistake was made” but claimed it was “not Jared’s fault.”
“What I don’t like about our current political environment is that every morning we wake up, we take a dozen eggs out, and we say, OK, who are we going to throw these eggs at today?” he said. “So today it’s going to be the Kushner family.”
Scaramucci said that Kushner and his family “are new to the political environment.”
“That is all well and good until you get a combination effect of the private side seeming to gain access and exploit access from the government side,” CNN’s Chris Cuomo said. “You have to call it out.”
“Didn’t the Kushners apologize for that?” Scaramucci said.
“Yes, after it was exposed,” Cuomo said. “They wouldn’t let journalists into that meeting that they had in China. Why, Anthony?”
“Because journalists are nosy, and journalists throw the eggs,” Scaramucci replied.
“Good thing they are,” Cuomo said.
“I’m glad you’re throwing eggs, bro,” Scaramucci said.
“I’m not throwing eggs. I’m throwing facts,” Cuomo hit back. “There’s a difference.”
